Wi-Fi & connectivity

[emmed]

Randomly my Roku will just disconnect from my Spectrum Internet - which is working fine. I have to re-set up Roku. Often that doesn't help so I have to take the batteries out of the remote and put them back in.

The remote batteries only last 2-3 weeks which definitely seems wrong. Compared to my TV remotes, it's absurd. I've changed the battery on my Toshiba TV remote once in over 7 years!

I'm getting really fed up. Tonight, I missed a crucial 10 minutes in a PBS miniseries I been watching. Are there any fixes?

[RokuJechealR]

Hi @emmed,

Thanks for the first post to the Roku Community!

We apologize for any inconvenience the connectivity issue has caused your Roku device. For assistance, we recommend contacting your internet service provider's customer support team. Since they are trained to configure it, they might be able to help you with this matter.

We appreciate your patience and understanding.

All the best,
Chel

[emmed]

So fun entering this loop. Internet provider says talk to Roku. Roku says talk to Internet provider and round and round we go.

Btw, no internet provider problems with my cellphone, laptop or desktop.

[RokuJechealR]

Hi @emmed,

Thanks for keeping us posted!

We appreciate you for letting us know about the progress of the issue you've been experiencing. We are interested in learning more about the problem and need more details.

To better identify the issue you're experiencing, may we know:

• What Roku device are you using right now? (e.g., Roku Express, Roku Streambar, Roku TV—specify TV)
• Are there any changes in the setup or settings of your Roku device or your network provider that might cause the problem?
• Are you encountering any error codes or messages? If so, please send us a photo.
• What steps have you taken so far to resolve the issue?

For troubleshooting purposes, have you tried to connect your Roku device to an alternative wireless network, such as a mobile hotspot, to see if you are still experiencing the same issue?

Feel free to keep us posted on what you find out, and we'll continue assisting you from there.

All the best,
Chel

[emmed]

Sorry for my delay in responding.

I have a Roku Express 4K+ with voice remote. It randomly loses the Internet connection - usually in the middle of a program. More rarely when I turn on the TV. Sometimes taking the batteries out solves the problem but usually I have re-set the connection; sometimes more than once.

It goes through batteries very quickly. In just weeks. I changed them (again) the day I first wrote. When it disconnected last night I saw a status of the remote briefly in the upper right corner of my screen. It showed it was at half power. I've tried different brands of batteries.

I'm disabled so not able to go out looking for hotspots. Plus I only use Roku on my TV. Not going to lug that around, even if I could get around.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

[emmed]

Forgot to say there's no warning or error code. Sometimes the screen just freezes and I have to turn the TV off and on. Usually it pops me back to the main screen. Once or twice I've had to unplug the Roku device but usually I don't have to do that.

[RokuJechealR]

Hi @emmed,

We appreciate you for keeping in touch!

Thanks for providing us with the details. We want to resolve this as soon as possible but need more information.

In order to do that, we will ask a set of questions to isolate the issue:

• What is your device's current OS version? (Settings > System > About > press the right button to show the full details)
• Have you ensured your router is broadcasting a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network for the device to connect to?
• Does the issue only occur when streaming on a specific channel or all the channels installed on your Roku device?
• Who is your ISP (internet service provider)?
• Have you tried removing the channel you observed this issue on from the Roku home screen? Then, restart your device by navigating to Settings > System > Power > System restart (if you do not see a Power submenu, skip to the next step). Once it loads up again, add the channel and try playing content again.

Regarding the remote issue you've been experiencing, battery life will vary based on usage. For normal use, the remote batteries may last two months or longer. Does your Roku remote support private listening? This may also be one factor in the battery drain.

Please keep us posted regarding the behavior you are experiencing, and we will be more than happy to continue assisting you further.

All the best,
Chel

[Bullwinkle68]

Having the same problem.  Every other device has worked fine on WiFi. 
All I have been told by Roku Support and this forum is that it is a router problem.  Frankly, they won’t take responsibility for their recent software updates that caused this. After more than 10 years being satisfied with Roku, I’m looking into other streaming devices.  I’m tired of having a TV I can’t watch and the lack of Roku denying it is their mistake.  Everyone makes mistakes but they should own up to it and not shovel the manure.  
This Roku put me back $80 and made my TV unwatchable.  

[emmed]

What is your device’s current OS version? (Settings > System > About > press the right button to show the full details) 

- Software version - 13.0.0 build 24056-CR (last updated 5/14/2024) Ran check for updates. Says “All software is up to date."

Have you ensured your router is broadcasting a 2.4GHz Wi-Fi network for the device to connect to?

- Yes. Spectrum router is new. Installed in December 2023. 

Does the issue only occur when streaming on a specific channel or all the channels installed on your Roku device?

  - I watch the Roku channel the most and my live PBS channel. It happens to both. Two night ago, after watching a PBS show, I tried to go to the Roku channel but I couldn’t leave the PBS. It didn’t freeze; the remote wouldn’t work. When I turned the TV off and on, it came back to the PBS channel and the remote still didn’t work. I had to unplug the Roku device.

Who is your ISP (internet service provider)?

- Spectrum  

Have you tried removing the channel you observed this issue on from the Roku home screen? Then, restart your device by navigating to Settings > System > Power > System restart (if you do not see a Power submenu, skip to the next step). Once it loads up again, add the channel and try playing content again.

- I rarely watch any channels except for Roku & PBS. I have removed the PBS channel and noticed no change. Can I remove the Roku channel to try this?

Regarding the remote issue you’ve been experiencing, battery life will vary based on usage. For normal use, the remote batteries may last two months or longer.

- Two months! That’s crazy! Batteries are expensive! I’ve changed the TV remote to my Toshiba TV twice in over 7 years (and I paid $150 for the TV new).  

Does your Roku remote support private listening? This may also be one factor in the battery drain.

- I don’t know what private listening is so I don’t know if it does or not. If it does, I don’t use it.

- I only watch TV during evenings and don’t channel hop.  I’m not a huge TV watcher.

- Last night it was frozen when I turned on the TV. The batteries I put in last week showed 0%. I put in batteries I took out last week back in and the Remote/battery page showed them 100% - I had to unplug the Roku device to get it to start. 

[emmed]

I agree with you that this is a relatively recent issue. I don't necessarily think Roku is being obtuse. I think it's more like denial. I have fairly extensive yet ancient experience in computers (meaning I did a lot in the 80-90s and have been retired for almost 20 years).

I've found that programmers are the last to admit they missed something which makes fixes almost impossible. I've writing to HGTV on its online contest glitches - eventually they listen to me. It took months for the NYT to accept their games weren't fully compatible with Firefox and only fixed the issue after 6 months of their denials and suggestions I switch to Chrome 🤮 They quietly fixed it after days long threads between one programmer and me.

Roku is taking the easy (and possibly usually correct) stance. It's not them. It's the other guy.

I remember all the early bugs I thought were solved decades ago but apparently not when new people find "new" shortcuts and don't run trials and debugging tests.

When the Roku responder said batteries for their remotes typically last two months, instant red flare. Something is definitely wrong and it might be mostly software but possibly hardware too. I'd rather not replace it, but that is an available option.